The mail-order market is expanding and pharmacies are also being stimulated by this innovation. But can you compete ? And how, when and with which investments? To answer these questions, we turned to the creators of a platform that is gaining continuous approval in pharmacies Best Rx pharmacy management system.
The continuous progressive increase in online sales provokes a question that, moreover, we are often asked by readers: “Should I also offer an e-commerce service in my pharmacy?”. Currently, there are over 800 points of sale (just over 670 pharmacies and 140 parapharmacies) that have obtained the recognition badge from the Regions and the Ministry of Health, as required by law, and the data of citizens who buy online record continuous increases. It turns out, however, that the first 5/6 e-Pharmacies make up the majority of the total e-commerce turnover in pharmacies, which means that the sector is very concentrated. Furthermore, having a dedicated site is not enough, because online business involves numerous problems, both complex and of various kinds, of a managerial, logistical, tax and commercial nature, for example.
Let’s try to analyze which obstacles an owner intending to develop an e-Pharmacy business must overcome, in order to offer useful practical information to those who, attracted by digital innovation, wish to deepen the subject before venturing into e-commerce.
Digital transformation is a process that is impacting all markets and is profoundly changing the relationship dynamics of people and their purchasing behavior. Our advice is that the pharmacist today should not consider whether to be online or not, but embrace this market transformation and invest their time in deciding HOW to be online, to secure a place in the market of tomorrow. E-commerce is not only a new sales channel, but represents for pharmacies, especially the smaller ones, a way to exponentially increase the turnover of some products and, consequently, be able to earn even 6/7 points of more margins, thanks to greater purchasing power.